The specific modality being used is not the most appropriate criteria for applying government regulation to biometrics, according to a statement from SensibleVision criticizing the recent call by Microsoft for regulation of facial recognition technology.

“Why would Smith single out this one technology for external oversight and not all biometrics methods?” asks George Brostoff, CEO and Co-Founder of SensibleVision. “In fact, unlike fingerprints or iris scans, a person’s face is always in view and public. I would suggest it’s the use cases, ownership and storage of biometric data (in industry parlance “templates”) that are critical and should be considered for regulation. Partnerships between private companies and the public sector have always been key to the successful adoption of innovative technologies. We look forward to contributing to this broader discussion.”

SensibleVision also notes that an internal committee established earlier in the year by Microsoft to guide its internal policies, the AI and Ethics in Engineering and Research (AETHER), has not published any guidance on facial recognition.